1st Division

The history of 1st Division

One of the first British formations to move to France, the 1st Division remained on the Western Front throughout the war. It took part in most of the major actions, including:

1914

The Battle of Mons and the subsequent retreat, including the Rearguard Affair of Etreux (August)

The Battle of the Marne (September)

The Battle of the Aisne including participation in the Actions on the Aisne heights and the Action of Chivy (September)

First Battle of Ypres (October-November. On 31 October 1914, at the climax of the battle, 1st Divisional headquarters at Hooge was hit by enemy shellfire, whereupon the Divisional Commander (Major-General Lomax) was severely wounded and the GSO1 (Col. F.W.Kerr) was killed.

Memorial to the 1st Division at La Groise (Chapeau Rouge) crossroads. It is an appropriate spot, for the 1st Division passed this way in the retreat of summer 1914 and advance of summer 1918. [Author’s collection]

1915

Winter Operations 1914-15

The Battle of Aubers (9 May)

The Battle of Loos (September-October)

1916

The Battles of the Somme 1916:

The Battle of Albert (July)

The Battle of Bazentin (July)

The Battle of Pozieres (July-September)

The Battle of Flers-Courcelette (September)

The Battle of Morval (September)

1917

The British purusit of the German retreat to the Hindenburg Line (March-April)

The Division was warned to prepare for an operation along the Belgian coast (“Operation Hush”) in summer 1917. It moved to the Dunkirk area for specialist training. Several mobile units were attached in readiness. The operation was cancelled when the initial assaults in the Third Battle of Ypres failed to progress as expected.

The Third Battles of Ypres:

The Second Battle of Passchendaele (October-November)

1918

The Battles of the Lys:

The Battle of Estaires (April)

The Battle of Hazebrouck (April)

The Battle of Bethune (April)

The Second Battles of Arras 1918:

The Battle of Drocourt-Queant (September)

The Battles of the Hindenburg Line:

The Battle of Epehy (September)

The Battle of the St Quentin Canal (September)

The Battle of Beaurevoir (October)

The Battle of the Selle (October)

The Battle of the Sambre, in which the Division fought the Passage of the Sambre-Oise Canal (4 November)

The 1st Division was selected to advance into Germany and form part of the Occupation Force at Bonn.

The order of battle of the 1st Division

1st Guards Brigade

On the formation of the Guards Division in August 1915, this brigade lost its two Guards battalions and was retitled as the 1st Brigade.

1st Bn, the Coldstream Guards

left August 1915

1st Bn, the Scots Guards

left August 1915

1st Bn, the Black Watch

2nd, the Royal Munster Fusiliers

left August 1914 after near-destruction at the Rearguard Affair of Etreux

1st Bn, the Cameron Highlanders

joined September 1914

1/14th Bn, the London Regiment

joined November 1914, left February 1916

10th Bn, the Gloucestershire Regt

joined August 1915

8th Bn, the Royal Berkshire Regt

joined August 1915, left 2 February 1918

1st Trench Mortar Battery

joined by 27 November 1915

1st Machine Gun Company

formed on 26 January 1916
left to move into 1st MG Battalion 28 February 1918

1st Bn, the Loyal North Lancashire Regt

joined February 1918

2nd Brigade

2nd Bn, the Royal Sussex Regt

1st Bn, the Loyal North Lancashire Regt

left for 1st Brigade February 1918

1st Bn, the Northamptonshire Regt

2nd Bn, the King’s Royal Rifle Corps

1/5th Bn, the Royal Sussex Regt

joined February 1915, left August 1915

1/9th Bn, the King’s (Liverpool Regt)

joined March 1915, left November 1915

1/5th Bn, the King’s Own (Lancaster Regt)

joined October 1915, left January 1915

2nd Trench Mortar Battery

joined by 27 November 1915

2nd Machine Gun Company

formed on 26 January 1916
left to move into 1st MG Battalion 28 February 1918

3rd Brigade

1st Bn, the Queen’s

left November 1914

1st Bn, the South Wales Borderers

1st Bn, the Gloucestershire Regiment

2nd Bn, the Welsh Regiment

2nd, the Royal Munster Fusiliers

joined November 1914, left February 1918

1/4th Bn, the Royal Welsh Fusiliers

joined November 1914, left September 1915

1/6th Bn, the Welsh Regiment

joined October 1915, left May 1916

1/9th Bn, the King’s (Liverpool Regt)

joined November 1915, left January 1916

3rd Trench Mortar Battery

joined by 27 November 1915

3rd Machine Gun Company

formed on 26 January 1916
left to move into 1st MG Battalion 28 February 1918

Divisional Troops

under direct command of Divisional HQ

1/6th Bn, the Welsh Regiment

joined as Divisional Pioneer Battalion May 1916

216th Company, the Machine Gun Corps

joined 22 March 1917
left to move into 1st MG Battalion 28 February 1918

1st Battalion, the Machine Gun Corps

formed 28 February 1918

1st Divisional Train ASC

6, 13, 16 and 36 Companies

2nd Mobile Veterinary Section AVC

204th Divisional Employment Company

joined 19 May 1917 at which time it was 6th Divisional Employment Company; renamed 14 June 1917

1st Divisional Motor Ambulance Workshop Unit

joined by 30 January 1915, transferred to Divisional Train 7 April 1916

Divisional Mounted Troops

under direct command of Divisional HQ

C Squadron, the 15th (King’s) Hussars

left April 1915

B Sqn, 1/1st Northumberland Hussars

joined 13 April 1915, left 18 April 1916

1st Company, Army Cyclist Corps

left 15 June 1916

Divisional Artillery

XXV Brigade, RFA

XXVI Brigade, RFA

left January 1917

XXXIX Brigade, RFA

LXI (Howitzer) Brigade, RFA

broken up 14 November 1916

1st Divisional Ammunition Column

26th Heavy Battery RGA

left April 1915

V.1 Heavy Trench Mortar Battery RFA

formed 30 January 1917, broken up 9 February 1918

X.1, Y.1 and Z.1 Medium Mortar Batteries RFA

joined by 16 March 1916; on 9 February 1918, Z broken up and batteries reorganised to have 6 x 6-inch weapons each

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